Alaska's Young, Stevens Face Inquiry
Alaska's Young, Stevens Face Inquiry
By John R. Wilke
The Wall Street Journal
Wednesday 25 July 2007
US prosecutors look at ties of Republican lawmakers to engineering firm VECO.
Washington - A senior House Republican has come under criminal investigation in the Justice Department's widening inquiry into alleged influence-peddling and self-dealing in Congress.
Rep. Don Young of Alaska, the former chairman of the House Transportation Committee, now is the subject of a continuing criminal inquiry involving possible political favors for a company in Alaska, people close to the case said. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, the powerful former chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the longest-serving Senate Republican, is also now under criminal investigation, these people said.
Federal investigators are examining whether Rep. Young or Sen. Stevens accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from VECO Corp., Alaska's largest oil-field engineering firm, people close to the case said.
It isn't known what VECO allegedly may have received in return. The company has been awarded a series of federal contracts since 2000, including contracts to provide logistics support for arctic research, among other projects.
The two lawmakers are among the highest-ranking members of either party to come under scrutiny in the wave of public-corruption probes that has swept Washington in the past three years. In the past year, two congressmen have been sent to prison, a third has been indicted for bribery, and at least a half-dozen others are under investigation in separate cases.
For a decade, former VECO Chief Executive Bill Allen has held fund-raisers for Mr. Young in Anchorage every August, known as "The Pig Roast," participants said. Public records show contributions to Mr. Young of at least $157,000 from VECO employees and its political-action committee between 1996 and 2006, the last year the event was held.
Mr. Young amended his campaign-finance filings in January to reflect $38,000 in payments to Mr. Allen, who is now cooperating with federal investigators in the case. The refunds, which haven't previously been reported, were labeled "fund-raising costs" in documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Mr. Young has hired a criminal-defense team and has said his campaign committee has paid $262,000 in legal fees in the past three months. A spokesman for Mr. Young declined to comment on any possible investigation and wouldn't say why his legal fees have risen sharply. Mr. Young has also faced questions about campaign donations received from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The congressman wasn't previously reported to be under criminal investigation.
The burly, bearded congressman has been Alaska's sole House member for 18 terms. He is perhaps best known as the architect of the "bridge to nowhere," a project in a massive 2005 transportation bill that he named after his wife, Lu, and "stuffed like a turkey," as he put it when the $286 billion bill was done. The proposed bridge to a sparsely populated island off Ketchikan, Alaska, came to symbolize out-of-control congressional spending to fund pet projects by lawmakers in both parties.
It has been widely reported that VECO is at the center of a federal investigation of corruption in the Alaska state legislature. But the inquiry into Mr. Young, as well as details of the allegations against Mr. Stevens, haven't previously been known.
VECO was acquired in June by CH2M Hill, a closely held Colorado engineering firm, after Mr. Allen, VECO's former CEO, agreed in May to plead guilty to charges of bribery, conspiracy and extortion.
Mr. Stevens has publicly said that he was asked to retain documents related to the federal investigation of his son, Ben Stevens, and other members of the state legislature, and related to VECO's role in the remodeling of a family home in Alaska in 2000. Sen. Stevens recently hired a criminal-defense lawyer. He has said he isn't a target of the Alaska probe and hasn't violated any law.
VECO executives, including Mr. Allen, have been big supporters of Mr. Stevens as well. And while VECO has won a string of federal contracts in recent years, it isn't known which contracts are the focus of the investigation.
Mr. Stevens was directly involved in funding contracts with the National Science Foundation, for example, which went to support arctic research. But there is no evidence he sought to influence the award of contracts to VECO, officials at the NSF said. Congressional records show that Mr. Stevens on several occasions added extra funding to the budget for arctic research above what the agency sought.
Sen. Stevens's spokesman, Aaron Saunders, declined to comment on the broader public-corruption investigation. The senator, in a statement, said: "This investigation should proceed to its conclusion without any appearance that I have attempted to influence its outcome." He added that the process should proceed "so that all the facts can be established."
The government's wide-ranging investigation of corruption in Alaska has already snared three current or former state legislators, who were arrested earlier this year, as well as Mr. Allen and a second VECO executive. Ben Stevens, Mr. Stevens's son, hasn't been charged in the case. His office was raided by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation last fall. The investigation is being led by the Justice Department's public-integrity section, which is presenting evidence to grand juries in Washington and Anchorage.
In the raid of Ben Stevens's office, documents related to VECO's gas-pipeline work were seized, along with records of his work for an Alaska fish-marketing board, an entity that was created and funded by Congress with support from his father.
FBI, IRS Search Home of Sen. Ted Stevens
I hope they nail the arrogant corrupt SOB.---BBB
FBI, IRS Search Home of Sen. Ted Stevens
by DAN JOLING
July 30, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ?- Federal agents searched the home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens on Monday, focusing on records related to his relationship with an oil field services contractor jailed in a public corruption investigation, a law enforcement official said.
Stevens, 83, has been under a federal investigation for a 2000 renovation project more than doubling the size of his home in Girdwood that was overseen by Bill Allen, a contractor who has pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska state legislators.
Allen is founder of VECO Corp., an Alaska-based oil field services and engineering company that has reaped tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts.
Agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service started their search at the senator's home Monday afternoon, said Dave Heller, FBI assistant special agent. He said he could not comment on the nature of the investigation.
About 15 agents took photos and video of various angles of the house and eventually entered it.
A law enforcement official familiar with the case confirmed the raid on Stevens' home was focused on records related to the ongoing VECO investigation. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
An e-mail statement issued by Stevens through his Washington, D.C., spokesman said federal agents had alerted his attorneys that they wanted to search his home.
Stevens, who is the longest-serving Republican in Senate history, said the interests of justice would be best served if he commented after the investigation.
"I continue to believe this investigation should proceed to its conclusion without any appearance that I have attempted to influence its outcome," Stevens said. "The legal process should be allowed to proceed so that all the facts can be established and the truth determined."
The Justice Department's probe into Allen's relationships has led to charges against state lawmakers and contractors. Last year, FBI raids on the offices of several Alaska lawmakers included Stevens' son, former Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens.
Neither the U.S. senator nor his son has been charged.
Stevens has served since 1968 and is Alaska's most powerful elected official, responsible for bringing home billions in federal dollars in a state short on infrastructure, from roads to basic sewer and water systems in remote villages. Anchorage's international airport is named for Stevens, and he has faced only token opposition in recent elections.
Alaska's only congressman, Don Young, is under federal investigation as part of the ongoing corruption probe, a federal law enforcement official told The Associated Press last week, commenting only on condition of anonymity. Part of the Young investigation involves his campaign finance practices, the law enforcement official said.
The investigation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Allen, former VECO Corp. CEO, had held fundraisers called "the Pig Roast" for Young every August for 10 years. Public records show Young received $157,000 from VECO's employees and its political action committee between 1996 and 2006, the Journal reported.
His spokeswoman has refused to discuss the investigation.
Stevens Mentioned in FBI Video
by MATT APUZZO
September 11, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ?- During a secret meeting to discuss what prosecutors say was a dirty deal to keep Alaska oil taxes low, two oil contractors said they had a powerful ally coming to town who could help build support for the plan: Sen. Ted Stevens.
The FBI played a videotape of the 2006 meeting Tuesday in a corruption trial against former Alaska House Speaker Pete Kott, who is accused of taking gifts and favors in exchange for supporting oil interests.
In the grainy video, VECO Corp. executives Bill Allen and Rick Smith can be heard talking about how to ensure passage of an oil tax bill. If approved, the bill would increase chances that a natural gas pipeline would be built, a deal that could mean huge profits for VECO.
Allen and Smith said they wanted to ensure Stevens was asked "good questions" that would steer him toward discussing the bill and the pipeline. The senator, Allen said, would make clear that "we need oil."
Stevens, the longest serving Republican in the Senate, has not been charged in the case. He has come under federal scrutiny, however, for his close ties to Allen, who oversaw a 2000 renovation project at Stevens' home. FBI agents recently searched the senator's Alaska home as part of the same corruption investigation the surveillance video was taken as part of.
Stevens has denied any wrongdoing. He has supported energy projects, including the gas pipeline, for years.
The videotape played Tuesday underscores the senator's close ties to Allen and his long-standing support for the oil industry and development in his home state. Prosecutors did not suggest the video was evidence that Stevens was involved in VECO's alleged effort to stack the vote on the tax bill.
Days after the discussion on the videotape took place, Stevens arrived in Alaska to deliver his annual address to state lawmakers. He championed the pipeline project and said the tax bill would create a good investment climate to make that deal happen.
"This is something that must be done by this legislature, both oil pricing and the gas line. It's extremely important," Stevens said.
Kott, a rank-and-file House member at the time, is accused of pushing through the oil pricing deal at VECO's behest. During Stevens' address, Kott asked how long it would take federal regulators to approve the pipeline. Stevens thanked him for the question, said he'd push for quick approval but encouraged lawmakers to move quickly.
"We can't start the process and I can't use my club on those guys until you act," Stevens responded. "It's absolutely essential for you to finish this gas pipeline this year. Please, it's absolutely necessary."
Stevens spokesman Aaron Saunders declined to comment because Stevens has said he does not want to appear to be trying to influence the case.
Allen, VECO's founder and former chief executive, and Smith, a former vice president, pleaded guilty in May to bribing state legislators with cash and the promise of jobs and favors for their backing on bills supported by the company.
(This version CORRECTS that Kott was not House speaker at the time he is accused of wrongdoing.)
Bumble Bee, you haven't gotten rid of William Jefferson yet for taking bribes a long time ago, he still sits in Congress, so why are you getting all hot and bothered about Republicans taking a harmless bribe? In fact, why should Republicans care anymore about crime, since Democrats apparently don't, unless of course it is a Republican?
Read somewhere recently that, of the ten ongoing ethics investigations, ONE is of a Democrat (Jefferson). That nine-to-one ratio does say something, okie.
okie wrote:Bumble Bee, you haven't gotten rid of William Jefferson yet for taking bribes a long time ago, he still sits in Congress, so why are you getting all hot and bothered about Republicans taking a harmless bribe? In fact, why should Republicans care anymore about crime, since Democrats apparently don't, unless of course it is a Republican?
That is too funny okie.. Are you psychotic?
No, just logical, Parados. Do you know what that is? Somehow I have serious doubts. You showed me as soon as I came on this board you had none.
okie
okie wrote:No, just logical, Parados. Do you know what that is? Somehow I have serious doubts. You showed me as soon as I came on this board you had none.
The only interest you have demonstrated on A2K is to attack liberals. Your posts are deficient in any useful and factural information.
BBB
Re: okie
BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:okie wrote:No, just logical, Parados. Do you know what that is? Somehow I have serious doubts. You showed me as soon as I came on this board you had none.
The only interest you have demonstrated on A2K is to attack liberals. Your posts are deficient in any useful and factural information.
BBB
Most likely because you have demonstrated interest in only attacking conservative positions you find his posts "are deficient in any useful and factural information."
I have noticed a new trend by some of the liberals here to decry an injustice on the part of conservatives in not posting in a more anti-conservative style. Only pointing out faults from the left, accusing conservatives of ignoring faults on the right... Pot Kettle and all that.
McG
McG, you appear to be having your usual memory lapses. You know that I've posted re corrupt democrats without hesitation. You only complain if my post is about a republican. I don't care whether democrats or republicans are crooks or idiots. I despise them equally.
BBB
Re: okie
BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:okie wrote:No, just logical, Parados. Do you know what that is? Somehow I have serious doubts. You showed me as soon as I came on this board you had none.
The only interest you have demonstrated on A2K is to attack liberals. Your posts are deficient in any useful and factural information.
BBB
Well, it goes both ways. The majority of posters here pretty much spend their efforts smearing Republicans and running down the country. Along with defending decency, sometimes a good offense helps the defense, and I think many liberals deserve alot of criticism for their record and wanting to go down the wrong road. I have a different viewpoint than liberals. I know you would like us all to shut up and go away, but we aren't going to.
One of my pet peeves is a double standard. Liberals don't seem to care about corruption in the liberal Democratic Party, which proves you don't care about corruption, you instead only care about your political party. How many Republicans resign because their party abandons support of them because of a scandal? Alot in case you haven't noticed. How many Democrats? Hardly any.
Re: okie
okie wrote:BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:okie wrote:No, just logical, Parados. Do you know what that is? Somehow I have serious doubts. You showed me as soon as I came on this board you had none.
The only interest you have demonstrated on A2K is to attack liberals. Your posts are deficient in any useful and factural information.
BBB
Well, it goes both ways. The majority of posters here pretty much spend their efforts smearing Republicans and running down the country. Along with defending decency, sometimes a good offense helps the defense, and I think many liberals deserve alot of criticism for their record and wanting to go down the wrong road. I have a different viewpoint than liberals. I know you would like us all to shut up and go away, but we aren't going to.
One of my pet peeves is a double standard. Liberals don't seem to care about corruption in the liberal Democratic Party, which proves you don't care about corruption, you instead only care about your political party. How many Republicans resign because their party abandons support of them because of a scandal? Alot in case you haven't noticed. How many Democrats? Hardly any.
That's because hardly any Dems have been caught doing such heinous things as the Republicans, who seem to have someone embroilled in a sex scandal or bribery scandal on a weekly basis.
Cycloptichorn
BBB
I find it ironic that the republican conservatives rarely post any negative articles or critisize those in their party while many democrats, including me, frequently find fault with democrats.
BBB
Re: okie
Cycloptichorn wrote:okie wrote:BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:okie wrote:No, just logical, Parados. Do you know what that is? Somehow I have serious doubts. You showed me as soon as I came on this board you had none.
The only interest you have demonstrated on A2K is to attack liberals. Your posts are deficient in any useful and factural information.
BBB
Well, it goes both ways. The majority of posters here pretty much spend their efforts smearing Republicans and running down the country. Along with defending decency, sometimes a good offense helps the defense, and I think many liberals deserve alot of criticism for their record and wanting to go down the wrong road. I have a different viewpoint than liberals. I know you would like us all to shut up and go away, but we aren't going to.
One of my pet peeves is a double standard. Liberals don't seem to care about corruption in the liberal Democratic Party, which proves you don't care about corruption, you instead only care about your political party. How many Republicans resign because their party abandons support of them because of a scandal? Alot in case you haven't noticed. How many Democrats? Hardly any.
That's because hardly any Dems have been caught doing such heinous things as the Republicans, who seem to have someone embroilled in a sex scandal or bribery scandal on a weekly basis.
Cycloptichorn
Then here are a few for you.
http://www.fbnewsleader.com/articles/2007/09/06/news/01newssexcharge.txt
http://prorev.com/legacy.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/14/AR2006111401230.html
Then there is this one...
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17357&c=1&tb=1&pb=1&gd=10032006
Of course,lets not forget about Mel Reynolds also.
Then there is Gary Condit.
Will you now say that "hardly any" have been involved in scandal?
Dont forget Dan Rostenkowski.
He was a dem also.
Re: okie
mysteryman wrote:Cycloptichorn wrote:okie wrote:BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:okie wrote:No, just logical, Parados. Do you know what that is? Somehow I have serious doubts. You showed me as soon as I came on this board you had none.
The only interest you have demonstrated on A2K is to attack liberals. Your posts are deficient in any useful and factural information.
BBB
Well, it goes both ways. The majority of posters here pretty much spend their efforts smearing Republicans and running down the country. Along with defending decency, sometimes a good offense helps the defense, and I think many liberals deserve alot of criticism for their record and wanting to go down the wrong road. I have a different viewpoint than liberals. I know you would like us all to shut up and go away, but we aren't going to.
One of my pet peeves is a double standard. Liberals don't seem to care about corruption in the liberal Democratic Party, which proves you don't care about corruption, you instead only care about your political party. How many Republicans resign because their party abandons support of them because of a scandal? Alot in case you haven't noticed. How many Democrats? Hardly any.
That's because hardly any Dems have been caught doing such heinous things as the Republicans, who seem to have someone embroilled in a sex scandal or bribery scandal on a weekly basis.
Cycloptichorn
Then here are a few for you.
http://www.fbnewsleader.com/articles/2007/09/06/news/01newssexcharge.txt
http://prorev.com/legacy.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/14/AR2006111401230.html
Then there is this one...
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17357&c=1&tb=1&pb=1&gd=10032006
Of course,lets not forget about Mel Reynolds also.
Then there is Gary Condit.
Will you now say that "hardly any" have been involved in scandal?
Dont forget Dan Rostenkowski.
He was a dem also.
Hardly any have been involved in scandals. You're talking about a couple of people, out of hundreds.
How many Republican senators and congressmen have left office due to scandal in just the last few years?!>?!!?!? We don't have to hunt around for people to criticize for scandal, like you do - your first link is to a guy who was never elected to anything.
Just from the last few years, folks who are out due to scandal:
Foley - Gone
Craig - Gone
Hastert - Gone
Burns - Gone
DeLay - Gone
Cunningham - Gone
Ney - Gone
Taft - Gone
Gov. Rowland - Gone
Libby - Gone
Rove - Gone
Gonzales - Gone
Under investigation for corruption:
Brown
Doolittle
Ted Stevens
Murkowski
Renzi
Lewis
Young
Feeney
If you want me to get into Republican state senators, I'll give you a huge list of briberies and sex scandals...
You need to realize that the corruption is currently based primarily in the Republican party. This situation will change; when the Dems are in power for longer, you'll see them started to get bribed as well.
Cycloptichorn
Re: okie
Cycloptichorn wrote:
You need to realize that the corruption is currently based primarily in the Republican party. This situation will change; when the Dems are in power for longer, you'll see them started to get bribed as well.
Cycloptichorn
You are correct, yet something tells me that when that occurs,you will forget that you said this and defend the dems to your last breath.
Re: okie
Cycloptichorn wrote:
Just from the last few years, folks who are out due to scandal:
Foley - Gone
Craig - Gone
Hastert - Gone
Burns - Gone
DeLay - Gone
Cunningham - Gone
Ney - Gone
Taft - Gone
Gov. Rowland - Gone
Libby - Gone
Rove - Gone
Gonzales - Gone
Under investigation for corruption:
Brown
Doolittle
Ted Stevens
Murkowski
Renzi
Lewis
Young
Feeney
If you want me to get into Republican state senators, I'll give you a huge list of briberies and sex scandals...
You need to realize that the corruption is currently based primarily in the Republican party. This situation will change; when the Dems are in power for longer, you'll see them started to get bribed as well.
Cycloptichorn
Don't forget Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank, and William Jefferson. Don't forget Harry Reed, and most notably, Hillary Clinton. I don't make a career of collecting names, but that would be a start without even doing any research. All of the above Democrats and not gone, and they won't go easily.
Re: okie
mysteryman wrote:Cycloptichorn wrote:
You need to realize that the corruption is currently based primarily in the Republican party. This situation will change; when the Dems are in power for longer, you'll see them started to get bribed as well.
Cycloptichorn
You are correct, yet something tells me that when that occurs,you will forget that you said this and defend the dems to your last breath.
You don't see me defending Jefferson to my last breath; the guy needs to go. He's a scumbag.
Okie, The Kennedy thing is not only a little murky, but it happened before I was born. And Barney Frank? C'mon. Can't you find something in the last decade to complain about?
Cycloptichorn
Re: okie
Cycloptichorn wrote:mysteryman wrote:Cycloptichorn wrote:
You need to realize that the corruption is currently based primarily in the Republican party. This situation will change; when the Dems are in power for longer, you'll see them started to get bribed as well.
Cycloptichorn
You are correct, yet something tells me that when that occurs,you will forget that you said this and defend the dems to your last breath.
You don't see me defending Jefferson to my last breath; the guy needs to go. He's a scumbag.
Okie, The Kennedy thing is not only a little murky, but it happened before I was born. And Barney Frank? C'mon. Can't you find something in the last decade to complain about?
Cycloptichorn
Whats murky about Kennedy?
He was driving the car,it ran off a bridge,a woman died,he swam away and didnt report it for 8 hours.
That would classify as negligent homocide or felony manslaughter anywhere in the country.
Unless of course your name is Kennedy.
